Travis Kelce traded in his football cleats for a top hat last weekend to join Taylor Swift onstage during the Eras tour — and the whole thing was his idea.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end dished on his surprise appearance at Wembley Stadium on the “New Heights” podcast Wednesday with his brother, Jason, who was more than eager to grill his younger brother about being a backup dancer.
“It’s very unlike me. I don’t love going on stages,” Travis said cheekily, noting his tendency to become the center of attention, whether he’s on the field or at the White House.
“I initially mentioned it to Tay but was like, ‘How funny would it be if I rolled out on one of the bikes for the ‘1989’ era?’” he explained. “She started laughing and was like, ‘Would you seriously be up for doing something like that?’”
The answer: absolutely.
“I was just like, ‘What? I would love to do that, are you kidding me?’ I’ve seen the show enough,” he said, referencing his numerous appearances in the Eras VIP tent. “Might as well put me to work here.”
The power couple decided that perhaps hopping on a bike wasn’t the best option — in case Travis ran into a dancer. Instead, he joined her and dancers Kameron Saunders and Jan Ravnik for the “Tortured Poets Department” interlude, where the men prepare a marionette-like Taylor for her next song in silent-film style.
“It’s such a a fun, playful part of the show and it was the perfect area or perfect time for me to go up there and just be a ham, have some fun, not only with her, Kam and Jan but the crowd, and try to get everybody excited for the rest of the show,” Travis said. “It was an absolute blast.”
The surprise performance wasn’t without risk: Travis had to carry the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” singer across the stage. Thankfully, his football skills prepared him well.
“The one thing I told myself is, ‘Do not drop the baby. Do not drop Taylor on your way over this damn couch.’ The golden rule was do not drop Taylor, get her to the couch safely,” he said. The brothers compared the move to carrying a football during a high-stakes game.
In fact, Travis said, the words of former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy were running through his mind during his big moment: “That ball has our dreams, goals and aspirations — you do not drop that ball,” he recalled Bieniemy saying.
That wasn’t the only football connection onstage that night either.
“Me and Kam’s brother, Khalen Saunders, we played together in K.C., won two Super Bowls together,” Travis said, calling Khalen one of his “all-time favorite teammates” and marveling at the serendipity of having the chance to “rock the field with him and now rock the stage with his brother.”
Travis admitted that the cheers he receives after a touchdown in Kansas City last a little longer than the reception he received in London — but in defense of the Eras tour crowd, he said, “It took a second for everyone to figure it out.”
“They put the camera on me, Kam and Jan, the three of us coming up the stage. That moment was pretty jarring,” he said.
“You don’t realize how big that stage is,” Travis said. Jason likened it to the length of a football field.
“It is way bigger than I could have ever imagined,” Travis added. “I was like, ‘I feel tiny up here.’ It was awesome and I didn’t disappoint Taylor, which is all that matters.”
Travis said he loved being part of the spectacle.
“For them to be up for it and to help me along and look like a pro, it was awesome,” he said.
While Swift won’t be suiting up for the Chiefs anytime soon, Travis didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to his girlfriend’s stage.
“Who knows, might not be the last time!”
